The Called to Flourish Podcast

Most leaders will tell you they want innovation. The harder question is what happens inside an organization when a new idea challenges how things have always been done. Giselle Jenkins, a Senior Consultant at Best Christian Workplaces, explains how tradition, founding DNA, and a deep commitment to excellence can quietly shut down new ideas, even in organizations that sincerely want to change. She walks leaders through why conflict is easier to navigate while an idea is still taking shape, how innovation moves from creativity to testing to implementation, and why starting with small mistakes builds a team's capacity for change. For leaders who sense their people have stopped offering ideas, this offers a practical guide to what to examine first. You'll Gain Insight On How to recognize when tradition, rather than mission, is driving your strategy Why innovation and excellence can pull against each other, and how to tell which your culture values most Why inviting people in early means facing disagreement early, and why that is worth it How to build your team's capacity for change by starting small and learning from mistakes 👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/how-to-encourage-innovation-in-christian-led-workplaces

Traders Point Christian Church's staff culture was once, in Greg Anderson's own words, "barely healthy." Since then, they've built a healthy, flourishing workplace culture — and the church itself has become one of the fastest-growing in the country. Executive Pastor Greg Anderson makes the case that those two facts are directly connected. He traces the turning point back to the humbling season after COVID, when an Employee Engagement Survey revealed a real disconnect: leadership thought the church's direction was clear, but staff didn't share that clarity. Greg discusses what his team changed in response, work that moved Traders Point into Best Christian Workplaces' flourishing range and earned it recognition as a Certified Best Christian Workplace. For any leader hoping to grow without it costing the staff who carry the mission, this conversation is worth the listen. You'll Gain Insight On: What a post-COVID survey revealed about the gap between leadership's clarity and staff's clarity Why a flourishing culture is what makes fast growth sustainable rather than destructive What it looks like to move a staff culture from barely healthy toward flourishing What leaders should protect first when growth accelerates You'll Gain Insight On: What a post-COVID survey revealed about the gap between leadership's clarity and staff's clarity How defining specific behaviors, not just values, shapes hiring, training, and accountability Why a flourishing culture is what makes fast growth sustainable rather than destructive What leaders should protect first when growth accelerates 👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/how-traders-point-became-one-of-americas-fastest-growing-churches

A leader's metrics can be strong and their mission moving forward while their soul quietly erodes underneath — and most leaders miss it until it becomes a crisis. This conversation with Mindy Caliguire, co-founder and CEO of Soul Care, unpacks why external success so often hides internal depletion, what the early warning signs actually look like, and what it means to lead from overflow instead of constantly recovering to baseline. You'll Gain Insight On: The warning signs of soul depletion most leaders miss or ignore Why mission drive and soul care aren't meant to be opposing forces The difference between resting enough to function and leading from overflow A simple framework — a page, a person, a plan — for taking action 👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/leadership-burnout-soul-care-for-christian-leaders-mindy-caliguire

Most leaders assume a toxic culture means bad people — but the leaders who turn it around know it usually means nobody's been tending the garden. Leaders inheriting a toxic culture face a familiar temptation: fix it fast, or avoid naming what's actually broken. Phil EuBank, Lead Pastor of Menlo Church, has led two church staff turnarounds — one in Colorado, one currently underway at Menlo Church— and shares what actually moves the needle versus what just feels like progress. This conversation covers honest measurement, difficult transitions, and the daily discipline healthy culture actually requires. You'll Gain Insight On Why culture assessments fail when leaders treat them as a checkbox instead of a growth tool The four-part framework for identifying where your team members stand on cultural change How to inherit a toxic culture without scapegoating the leaders who came before you Why full transparency with survey results builds more trust than a curated summary 👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/toxic-culture-doesnt-mean-bad-people-it-means-nobodys-watering-the-garden

Most leaders think they still have time to figure out their AI policy. Dustin W. Stout says that clock ran out the moment their staff opened ChatGPT for the first time. Christian leaders are facing a technology shift moving faster than most policies can keep up with. In this episode, Dustin W. Stout — CEO of Magai and a former youth pastor — talks through why AI adoption inside organizations is already happening below the surface, why the extremes of fear and over-reliance both miss the point, and what it actually looks like to lead well through a moment this disruptive. You'll Gain Insight On Why "we haven't decided on AI yet" is already a decision How to think about AI as a tool rather than a threat or a savior What Dustin's own path from youth ministry to founding Magai reveals about calling and timing Where AI can free up a leader's time for the relational work only people can do 👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/your-staff-is-already-using-ai.-do-you-have-a-policy

Not every leader gets to choose when growth arrives. David Corry, General Counsel for Liberty University, didn't choose the timing — but what he did with the opportunity is the real story. When Liberty University committed to investing in its leaders' growth, David Corry was one of the executives given the chance to go through a full 360 assessment. In this episode, David shares why he chose to lean fully into the process — engaging honestly with feedback instead of simply going through the motions. His story offers a real look at what humility, coaching, and sustained growth look like in practice for a leader who'd spent nearly five decades in the workforce without this kind of opportunity before. You'll Gain Insight On: How to respond well when change is required, not requested How to turn feedback into a workable monthly growth plan instead of an overwhelming list What it takes to recognize and interrupt decades-old leadership habits How coaching and honest self-assessment work together, even for veteran leaders 👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/he-didnt-ask-for-a-360-he-chose-what-to-do-with-it

Joanna Meyer, Executive Director at the Denver Institute for Faith & Work and author focused on women, work, and calling. She explores how everyday policies and meeting habits quietly block women’s voice and influence. Short takes cover how measurement reveals hidden bias, what men should notice about presence, and practical relational and structural habits that invite fuller participation.

Most leaders who plateau aren't missing feedback — they're avoiding what honest feedback requires of them. Self-identification, it turns out, is only 20% of self-awareness. Leadership development has a blind spot of its own: it focuses heavily on skills while overlooking the inner work that growth actually demands. In this episode, leadership strategist and executive coach Amy Clark explores why so many leaders stall even after they've named their weaknesses, and offers a clear path forward. From the concept of the "edge of familiarity" — where leaders cling to the expertise that got them to their current role — to a simple two-question method for gathering honest feedback from the people they lead, Amy provides practical tools that build both self-awareness and team trust. You'll Gain Insight On Why knowing your blind spots is only 20% of self-awareness — and what the other 80% requires The "edge of familiarity" and how technical expertise quietly becomes a leadership ceiling Two direct questions that build self-awareness and trust without a formal review process Why care must be practiced rather than posted on a wall 👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/the-leaders-who-stay-stuck-already-know-their-blind-spots

Many leaders assume disengagement is primarily a motivation or performance problem. But what if the real issue is that people no longer experience their work as life-giving? In this episode, Jay Bransford, President & CEO of Best Christian Workplaces, explores why Life-Giving Work is the second most powerful driver of employee engagement. Drawing from decades of workplace culture research, he explains how leaders unintentionally drain meaning from work, why role alignment matters, and how connecting daily tasks to mission can dramatically increase engagement and ownership. You'll gain insight into: • Why Life-Giving Work is one of the strongest drivers of engagement • How leaders unintentionally drain meaning from work • What happens when employees are in the wrong seat • Practical habits that create energized, flourishing teams 👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/your-people-arent-burned-out-their-work-may-be-draining-the-life-out-of-them

Many Christian-led organizations are passionate about serving people externally—but struggle to care for the health of their own teams internally. In this episode, Michael Martin, President & CEO of ECFA, explains why flourishing cultures require intentional stewardship, leadership rhythms, and a deep commitment to caring for people well. Drawing from ECFA's experience building a 100th-percentile workplace culture, he shares how mission clarity, collaboration, employee voice, and healthy leadership practices strengthen both culture and Kingdom impact. You'll gain insight into: • Why ECFA made culture one of its core strategic goals • How mission clarity creates stronger employee engagement • What leaders miss when they focus only on external ministry impact • Practical rhythms that help teams stay healthy and connected 👉 Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/the-strongest-ministries-dont-ignore-the-people-closest-to-them